Blue Skies

WHAT A DAY! (see the end for the best part!) It was a beautiful morning at Port St. Joe, we started by drinking coffee, eating donuts, and overlooking the ocean as we had our last Chapel of the week. Pastor Brent talked about Responding to God, whether it be to surrender life to Jesus, get baptized, or maybe just take the next faithful step in following Him.

We ended chapel with serving and receiving communion with our host families, it was a beautiful sight and very emotional.

We had to move most of our activities inside for the day, as thunderstorms rolled through, but that was ok for most of the families, it had been a busy week, and everyone was tired.

The guest families participated in their last Kindred Journey meeting, and it was very powerful. God is moving and showing up in the midst of their challenges in major ways. He is not finished yet!

We did our final goodbyes and send off to the guest families. We cannot describe how much we have come to love them. They are now family!

Then we headed to the beach for 2 SUNSET BAPTISMS! 2 of our youth volunteers, Thomas and Savannah responded to God’s pursuit of them by surrendering their life to Him and desiring to be baptized TODAY! Praise God for our growing faith family!

They told us before we came, that this was going to be the “best week ever”, well I think they might just be right!

Today was our best day at the beach! We spent the whole day with the families fishing and boogie boarding in the clearest most beautiful emerald waters you can imagine at Cape San Blas.

We ended the day with “Red, White, and Blue Skies Night” It was what you would expect on a big 4th of July party, but we also did a parade with the local police and firefighters, who gave”Courageous Heroes” medals to all the cancer survivors and their siblings, it was a beautiful way to honor their fight together.

As our week at Blue Skies comes to a close, I think we would all agree that we have developed a special bond. A bond that has connected the host families and the guest families. And After the red white and blue celebration tonight we might even agree we’re feeling somewhat like a big family….how cool is that? Maybe it was the fried chicken Or the awards for the siblings and the cancer patients ? Maybe it was The humor we found in running across the courtyard four times during the parade to act as A stand in crowd. Whatever it was there was something very special about tonight. I’m pretty Sure it is a memory most of us will not forget.

Heres A little something from Kerregan Graves:

Well not only was today amazing this whole week was amazing. I have learned so much from these kiddos at blue skies . I love to see the smile on their faces not even worrying about cancer .This week has been full of activity’s ! Seeing the kids enjoying chapel is also really amazing . Pastor Brent has done a fantastic job at leading chapel .I have made new friends , got new nicknames , Seen everything in a different perspective. I have seen what god has done for these kids . Over the week kids open up and let loose ! Thiago, Blair , and Hannah Make our pool days fun .Lee will bring out the water guns and than the pool can’t get better than that .Its so cool making new friends coming in to this mission trip i kinda new a few people but now i feel like we are all family . We have got to go watch the sun set a few times as a Blue Skies family. But down here in Port Snt Joe where doing just fine !!!

We woke up to a cool morning rain, and moved our chapel inside. We had a sweet time of worship and Brent talked about “Receiving from God”, and the greatest gift to receive is Jesus. He also talked about receiving the gift of being yourself. There is no one like you, and you are exactly what God had in mind when He created you. Psalm 139.

In our Kindred Journeys time, the parents had a chance to share more about their journey of having a child with cancer, and how God showed up in amazing ways through out. It was an emotional time, but beautiful to see how many ways God is at work even in the midst of the hardest moments of life.

Meanwhile, the kids played LEGO’s and card games, watched movies, and just had a blast getting to know each other better!

After the rains cleared and lunch was over, it was another fun day at the pool with all the Blue Skies families!

For dinner we had a Hoedown! Checkout the photos from our Wild West BBQ dinner…it was so fun!

Tomorrow we head to the beach with all the families for another full day.

Please continue to pray for these families, and for our team. God is moving, and it is an honor to be a part of His work!

Check out these beautiful words from Jenny Jack about how she is experiencing God at Blue Skies:

Today at Blue Skies we mixed things up a bit because of the weather, but as we let go of our plans we saw that it is God Who holds it all together and it is His plan that is perfect. And as time to reflect was presented He revealed more of Himself in these thoughts…

Whatever is happening or not happening, God is using all of our experiences, both good and bad, hopeful and hurtful, to develop our character to match our calling. C. S. Lewis said it best: “We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.”

The only thing that will stop the anxieties, uncertainties and insecurities is for the Spirit of God to lay across our hearts and make them still. The blanket of His presence and His protection is the only perfect fit for the deep creases and crevices carved inside us. He is the lifter of our heads. The remover of our pain. The healer of our hearts. And the One who sings over us in delight.

God’s love isn’t based on you and me. It’s simply placed on you and me. As these truths flood our hearts, peace comes. Peace that gives us permission to live like we are loved. Because we are. Deeply. Abundantly. And with a love that will not fail.

He is good, and He is good to us. Our lives are in His hands. We trust Him to care for us and our families. We want Him to stir up our spirits, like He did for Zerubbabel and Joshua in Haggai 1:14. Make us fearless, brave and bold as we commit to following Your call and building Your kingdom above all else; here at Blue Skies, in these precious families and wherever else You may lead.